After all this talk about vampires and creepy music recently, I've pulled out an original composition I came up with several years ago. I started working on this before my accident back in 2007 and haven't touched it since. I think it's finally time!

The piece is called "The Fallen" and it is inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe. A friend of mine challenged me to capture his writing in music and let's face it, I couldn't pass that one up!

It's set up in two distinct movements based on the poems/short stories, "The Valley of Unrest" and "The City In The Sea."

These are just the main melodies/themes I want to use toward the finished piece. I dropped them into a midi file just so I don't forget them. I'm looking to add more strings and some over-laying melodies.

Unfortunately, you can't here the "fullness" of the sound because my recording equipment isn't the greatest. I originally wrote all these parts in Guitar Pro 5.

I would love to hear everyone's opinions! With a violin at the ready, I can't wait to add the parts it needs!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin

DanielB

Regulars

Members

May 30, 2012 - 7:11 pm

Member Since: May 4, 2012

Forum Posts: 2379

Offline

2

0

It sounds like a great project, EJKiszenia. This could be a particularly good time of year to be working on anything "creepy", since if you can get it out where people will hear it by something like early October, it could get an automatic boost of interest due to Halloween. Though it seems vampires and such are popular all year round in recent years.

The concept sounds good. But if there were supposed to be files to listen to, I don't see them?

We are definitely alike on one thing, though. One of the reasons that I wanted to learn violin was to be able to actually play some bits I've written for strings over the years, rather than using midi and samplers. So you know I will be one of the ones cheering you on! LOL

"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman

EJ-Kisz

Midwest, US

Members

Regulars

May 31, 2012 - 12:18 am

Member Since: April 9, 2012

Forum Posts: 605

Offline

3

0

Fixed it!!! I had to make a youtube video out of it, but it's finally done! I don't know why the .wav file wouldn't upload! I kept getting an error 112!

Oh well, now you'll just have to sit through some of my photography as well!

You might have to turn the volume up, my cheap recording software/equipment isn't up to par. The original version (even though it's midi) sounds pretty good! This version is missing a lot of dept! I can't wait to here your comments and opinions on it!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Mad_Wed

Russia, Tatarstan rep. Kazan city

Members

Regulars

May 31, 2012 - 4:10 am

Member Since: October 7, 2011

Forum Posts: 2849

Offline

5

0

WoW!

That's fantastic one. I definitelly like this type of music. Can't wait when You add the violin part.

Liked the video also - i saw in those flame pictures everything, except what it supposed to be LOL!

DanielB

Regulars

Members

May 31, 2012 - 5:30 am

Member Since: May 4, 2012

Forum Posts: 2379

Offline

6

0

Not bad, EJK, not bad at all. "The City In the Sea", in particular, it gets a nice mood developing. Don't worry so much about it being midi at the moment or the recording equipment not being as good as you'd like. At least you got the bits down so you didn't lose them, and that is more important at this stage.

You definitely have enough to enable you to work from it. Each part has a definite sense of movement and some framework available from the arpeggios and etc.

What *I* would do with it at this point of development would be to set the pieces up in separate loops and take your violin when you are warmed up after a practice and just start playing to one of the pieces. Start with just taking some easy long notes and let it evolve and see where the instrument takes you. Record everything, even from the first session and after you have a week of sessions, start reviewing the parts that are a week old. In a couple weeks or a month, you will have some ideas that will have developed that will have grown out of the original framework but have taken on enough "life of their own" that you will want to develop them as movements to tell the story you have forming in your head.

After you have some of those written down and recorded (maybe also midi-ed), take a break from that, because you will likely have had some more ideas on how to develop the original two pieces. Like there may be sections you want to build with more depth or more stark, to allow yourself to explore them with the violin. Probably also some ideas for piano/keyboard will have come to you as well.

What I am trying to say is that what you have so far is good. It makes musical sense, it builds some interest, it has mood. It uses moments of dissonance and harmony to build tension and give release. It is good "bones". But it is kind of like a stage that has been set or the opening credits of a movie. Now you may want to build on that to bring in the characters and start telling the story itself.

How I would start on that may or may not work for you. But I would immerse in the instrument, learning what the violin can do. And immerse in "The Fallen" as you have it written so far, seeing where the violin takes you in that world you built when you set down "The Valley of Unrest" and "The City In the Sea". Do the same with keyboard/piano when you hit "dry spots" where the going is not easy with the violin. Work one and then the other at those different times,so they can build off each other. Work towards developing movements that build off the original ideas of The Fallen" as you first set it down to make moments that listeners will remember, that will haunt them for years after they have heard it.

LOL I think I have been rambling. So I'll wrap it up with:

"Sounding good, EJK. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to hearing where you go with this piece."

"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman

NoirVelours

Quebec

Honorary tenured advisor

Members

Regulars

May 31, 2012 - 8:03 am

Member Since: March 28, 2012

Forum Posts: 822

Offline

7

0

Loved the fire pictures and music, was able to see most of the figures in the flames! CanT' wait to hear it on violin though, midi is meh 🙂

"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov

EJ-Kisz

Midwest, US

Members

Regulars

May 31, 2012 - 11:02 am

Member Since: April 9, 2012

Forum Posts: 605

Offline

8

0

Thanks everyone!

Daniel, I would actually like to make this piece into some sort of quartet or small string session. The midi string part sounds a little too thick to my liking and I was thinking about switching them over to cello. I might leave a little bit of piano in there, but I'm not quite sure yet. Plus, once I have string parts, I can put more dynamics into the parts as well as break them up! Right now, it's just a matter of translating what's in my head to the violin! LOL

When I first started writing this, I focused on the "emotion" of each piece and just let things flow on piano. With "The Valley of Unrest" I wanted it to represent uneasiness and nervousness. Kind of like waiting on the edge of a storm. It steadily rolls in even though you would think it was moving faster and fills you with anticipation. In "The City in The Sea," I just kept thinking about big, dramatic waves at night and being lost at sea. The water will swell up then drop over and over until whoever's caught in it, gives up and goes with the flow.

Hopefully, I'm getting those points across in the dynamics! I'm also so glad I didn't lose this piece or forget it!

Naska & NV, the images in the picture tent to sneak up on you.......it hits you out of nowhere and can be breathtaking! It's my most popular photography series! If ya need help, I'd be happy to explain any of them!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin

springer

Honorary tenured advisor

Members

Regulars

May 31, 2012 - 11:31 am

Member Since: January 6, 2012

Forum Posts: 525

Offline

9

0

EJ-Kisz

Midwest, US

Members

Regulars

May 31, 2012 - 12:13 pm

Member Since: April 9, 2012

Forum Posts: 605

Offline

10

0

springer said

Oh believe me, the song's evil enough! LOL I tried playing it on the piano the other night and couldn't get through it. Thanks to my "wonderful" accident, I have nerve damage that affects my pinky and ring finger on my right hand. When I never know if I'm pressing down correctly (or sometimes at all) with them. LOL

So, the best solution....change all the right-handed piano parts to bow instruments!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin

springer

Honorary tenured advisor

Members

Regulars

May 31, 2012 - 12:57 pm

Member Since: January 6, 2012

Forum Posts: 525

Offline

11

0

Good idea Eric. Good luck.

Fiddlerman

Fort Lauderdale

May 31, 2012 - 1:28 pm

Member Since: September 26, 2010

Forum Posts: 12584

Offline

12

0

EJKiszenia - good plan. Maybe you want to start your own group project here 🙂

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

EJ-Kisz

Midwest, US

Members

Regulars

June 1, 2012 - 9:49 am

Member Since: April 9, 2012

Forum Posts: 605

Offline

13

0

Fiddlerman said
EJKiszenia - good plan. Maybe you want to start your own group project here 🙂

I would love the help and input though! I actually have another song that I wrote called "Armada" which is more complete than "The Fallen." Although, I have a habit of writing music beyond my skill level! LOL Armada was originally written for strings on piano. I couldn't find anybody who wanted to attempt it at the time...........it uses a lot of rapid spicatto mixed with double stops. In order for me to play it, I have to be on piano or bass guitar where I can palm mute and gallop-pick. ....and it's still tough then! But I here in in my head as a violin/string piece. If I can figure out the timing to write it down, I'll share it here and see if anyone wants to attempt it! I would love to hear/see that!

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Fiddlerman

Fort Lauderdale

June 2, 2012 - 8:30 am

Member Since: September 26, 2010

Forum Posts: 12584

Offline

14

0

Sounds interesting. Just post away. 🙂

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."